Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument
Alton Cemetery at Monument Ave., Alton, IL 62002
Historic Sites
Visit the monument of an amazingly persistent and inspirational freedom fighter, Elijah P. Lovejoy.
This monument memorializes Elijah P. Lovejoy, whose work and death in Alton gave him a place in history for the abolition of slavery. During the slavery era, Elijah Lovejoy was a pastor who wrote anti-slavery editorials so controversial he became an object of hatred by slaveholders. Despite threats to his life, he continued his anti-slavery writings in the Alton Observer, even after three of his printing presses were thrown into the Mississippi River. It was this persistence that led an angry pro-slavery mob to attack and kill him in 1837. Illinois 250
What's happening nearby...
Miles Davis Jazz Festival 2026
Post Commons • May 22 – May 23 @ 6PM
Celebrate 100 years of Miles Davis May 22–23 in Alton with live jazz, food, and community.
Read more about Miles Davis Jazz Festival 2026
250 on the Mississippi at Haskell Park
Haskell Park • Jul 01 @ 4PM
Kick off opening night of 250 on the Mississippi at Haskell Park on July 1! Enjoy a giant birthday cake, eating contests, live music, food trucks,…
Read more about 250 on the Mississippi at Haskell Park
250 on the Mississippi at Rotary Park
Alton Godfrey Rotary Park • Jul 02 @ 4PM
Keep the celebration going at Alton Godfrey Rotary Park with live music by American Jackals, food trucks, stilt walkers, kids activities, and festive fun for the…
Read more about 250 on the Mississippi at Rotary ParkYou might also be interested...
Confederate Cemetery and Memorial
Alton
Remember those who died in the infamous Alton prison in 1863 as you visit the Confederate Cemetery and Memorial in Alton, IL.
Read more about Confederate Cemetery and Memorial
Confederate Prison Site
Alton
Visit first Illinois State Penitentiary and learn about the ghastly history of the overcrowded, often disease-infested prison. Today, it is a monument dedicated to those who…
Read more about Confederate Prison Site
Haskell Playhouse
Alton
A Victorian-style playhouse built for the daughter of Dr. William A. Haskell, a physician and one of the wealthiest residents of Alton, as a present for…
Read more about Haskell Playhouse